Posts from the ‘#330daysofbiking’ Category
detours
sled 🙂
The snow stuck around longer than most people expected, thanks to some nice cold temps. It was some amazingly beautiful riding – cold, sunny, snow on the ground. The kind of weather that stirs my blood. Too often, I find that I want to spend the entire day outside messing around – on my bike, with the camera and a coffee stop or two. And then the responsibilities of real life throw a detour sign in the road, and I find it unavoidable to have to park the bike and get on with it.
contemplating snow tires... ?
The past week was one of those detours – even though I was riding every day, the daily focus was on “the other stuff”. The mundane things like appointments and errands that had been put off a little too long. Projects at home that needed attention, trips that required me to use a car. Sigh.
brightness
I’ve had a few days this week where the riding was barely more than a 15 minute spin up the road, but I’ve come to really appreciate that benefit, that reward, of #330daysofbiking over the months. Taking the time, no matter how brief it may be, to get outside and pedal around away from the other necessary things – a detour in itself – is the great equalizer, the balance to the mundane.
she always makes me smile
slushy
As I write this today, the snow has almost all disappeared. And I miss it. I still have a sizable to-do list of non-cycling things to detour me during the next few weeks, but I’m always glad for the daily reward of #330daysofbiking. The official count as of today: have ridden 270 of the past 299 days, 66 days remain.
creekside
I always keep him waiting ... yes I do 😉
the difference a week can make ... 14 January
... and then today, same road, same bike
sun and snow
#330daysofbiking, Day 260
In my book, there is nothing, nothing, more beautiful than being outside on a cold, sunny day with snow on the ground. I think it is my idea of heaven.
I felt like I was riding in CO today … temps in the 20’s, the warmth of the sun, hills and fields covered in snow, brilliant blue sky and the beautiful blue snow shadows. I know that this little wonderland can’t – won’t – last much longer, but I am loving every moment and can barely make myself head back inside at the end of the day.
Day 260 – definitely on my top 10 list of #330daysofbiking.
come ride with me …
Confession: videographer I am not, but today while riding with my little Lumix, I accidentally switched the mode dial to the video capture mode … and decided, hey – this might not be a bad idea? So here is a chance for you to ride along with me – for a few minutes, anyway. One of these days I will re-attempt with a real video camera, but for now, at least you will get the idea (and get to see a few barns flying by) 😉
You may not believe me, but it really was a perfect day to be out on a bike. There was still virtually no traffic due to the recent snow-panic, yet the roads had started to clear and were easily ridable. The landscape was quiet and beautiful with snow, the temperatures were comfortably moderate in the mid-30’s, and I loved having the hushed roads all to myself.
not quite clear yet
clear sailing (riding)
As the salt trucks had been slowly making their way through the county, I decided to ride my old mountain-turned-commuter bike, in case things were really messy. For the most part, however, I was surprised at how well things had cleared up. Yet this hasn’t stopped the schools from declaring yet another Snow Day for tomorrow…
I have to confess that I will hate to see it all melt away. I could get very used to this nice combination of cross-country skiing and cycling each day. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll get at least another day or two before it all vanishes.
The old barns (& bicycle pics) are here to stay, though. Oh well.
(another) barn & bike
old snowy barn
preparatory measures
grocery run (#330daysofbiking Day 255)
Tomorrow has been declared an official Snow Day – school has been cancelled, the store shelves are being ravaged of all bread, milk, lunchmeat, canned soup and peanut butter. And yes, not a single flake of snow has yet to fall from the sky.
The local news is full of advice on “emergency preparedness” and weather alerts of impending doom (i.e., 2-5 inches of snowfall possible). Oh brother.
It just happened that I needed to make a normal grocery run today. So much for timing. We did manage to get our “emergency rations” (lol), and had a very nice ride – despite a few sidelong glances from the weather-panic-stricken.
Mostly, I am oh-so-curious to see if the snow forecast pans out…. I hope it does; my X-country skis have been begging to be pulled out of the attic, and I wouldn’t mind a repeat of snowbiking. 🙂 Keep your fingers crossed!
heading home, fully stocked
we like to wear silly hats
trying to imagine the landscape with some snow (???)
I'm not the only Nutcase around here ...
#330daysofbiking continues
- a spot of color on the winter landscape … Mason
I’ve been enjoying spending the recent days riding with “my boys”. Some days it requires a little coercion – when the weather is cold and grey, or when they’ve been up until 4 am watching movies and playing video games with the usual suspects (i.e., Matt, Tim and Boaz).
We actually had a day or two when the temps were unseasonably warm – into the mid-sixties, and warm enough to ride in shorts. Now the forecast is back to normal winter stuff, including the likelihood of some snow in the next few days.
boy talk
boyz on bikes
bare trees, bare legs
I always find it kind of ironic that I don’t see more people cycling here during winter. I’m not sure what keeps them off of their bikes? Our temperatures are really pretty moderate, most of the time above 30’F during the day. Add a skull cap, some gloves and layers of clothing, and I really like riding during this time of year. (And I love that I don’t arrive everywhere a dripping ball of sweat). The landscape is so … muted, peaceful. Shades of dun and buff, silhouettes of tree limbs, and beautiful low light.
Even the boys admit that once they get out there, it’s always worth it.
typical winter
As of today, the official #330daysofbiking count stands as follows: have ridden 253 of the past 283 days, 84 days remain.
In a few days, the boys will all head back to school … meanwhile, I am loving every minute of our being able to ride together.
thanks for your patience with my goofy ways, Mason - and for always managing to make me laugh
souvenir 🙂
day 1 and already behind…
- buried (alive)
2010 has come and gone, and I wish all of my friends a coming year filled with happiness, good health, smooth pavement, and contentment and civility with passing motorists. And so much more. 🙂
Took some time “off” (really, c’mon – the stuff I do in no way resembles “work”) to spend with friends and family, and do the annual Christmastime visiting. Think: the classic holiday movie Christmas Vacation. And this is my only excuse for behind so behind in posting.
The 7-state untold-number-of-miles roadtrip began with a few days in Chicago, my hometown, the place of my birth, my roots. There is nothing as wonderful to me as Christmastime in Chicago – the cold and snow, the wind, the lights of the city, the food. Oh, the food… !
bike delivery and messengers on the streets of Chicago
Downtown, I really only saw a small handful of cyclists (compared to what I had seen back in August). Mostly messengers and bicycle delivery guys, the ones whose jobs made it necessary to be riding in the cold, snow, and slush.
My favorite bike encounter of the trip was Jack’s Bicycle Puppet Show. Jack parked his puppet-theater-on-wheels along the holiday shopper-filled corridor of State Street, and for a small donation you would be treated to some music and the adventures of Puppet Cat. Awesome.
Jack's Puppet Show Theatercycle ~ State Street, Chicago
We left Chicago and headed for rural Pennsylvania, to spend Christmas with Mark’s clan. My father-in-law was kind enough to dig an old 3-speed Huffy out of the depths of his garage so that I could do some pedaling while we were there. (I suspect they all knew I needed some kind of outlet to get me out of the house for a couple hours each day…)
There was a lot of snow (18+ inches?), and with the small rural back roads virtually empty of traffic and the occasional passing Amish buggy, the snow-riding was a blast! Three speeds of happiness in the snowy and slippery landscape. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift.
happiness in a borrowed bike - the trusty Huffy 3-speed in the snow (Pennsylvania)
a little slipping and sliding up the hill
a "trip computer" from another era ... or from the local Amish (?)
out in the open
snowy happiness on an old Huffy
And so, to my friends (who are all more on top of things than I am – with full-blown statistics of miles ridden, events conquered, goals met and goals to be set) … thanks for putting up with my continued mindless ramblings, my lack of substantial contributions and goal-setting, and my silliness and lameness in general. Maybe 2011 will bring a change. But likely not. Anyway, thanks for inviting me to the party, and wish you all the best for the next 365 days on the bike.
(And now … to sneak in a non-bike photo – because that’s the way I do things here.)
... kind of like the inner peace & serenity you find while on a bike (only trees can't pedal; I know)
#330daysofbarns (and cows)
- #330daysofbiking, Day 239 ~ city bike in the country
One of my twitter friends recently mentioned (jokingly, I am sure) that there had been a conspicuous absence of old barns in my recent posts. So, for @dauphin87 and anyone else who isn’t bored to tears of rural landscapes, old barns and Holsteins … this one is for you.
#330daysofbiking update: have ridden 240 of the past 263 days … 90 days to go.
as for old barns ... this is still one of my favorites (Bigsby Creek Road)
today's bikes and barns (White Oak Valley) ...
... and today's Holstein
windchill factor
happy haulidays!
tis the season for festive Xtracycles ~ #330daysofbiking, day 236
It’s that time of year again … festive lights, festive bikes, winter riding, wishlists, and all of the riding that goes along with the holiday agenda – from the baking to the shopping to the shipping. And there is no other bike that can get it all done-with-fun like an Xtracycle.
There has been a lot of chatter in recent months about the growing selection of cargo bikes on the market. And kind of like the great Pillsbury Bake-Off, the cargo bike discussion seems to be taking on elements of a “Hauls(bury)Bike-Off”. From Xtracycles to bucket bikes to bakfeits to beer-on-tap bikes, it’s a great discussion to be having … for in my opinion, any bicycle that enables someone to substitute bike for car is a wonderful thing – and nothing does that better than a cargo bike.
However, if we ever get down to casting votes, I cast mine without hesitation for Xtracycle. If I could only own one bike, it would be my Xtracycle. No question, no debate. It is my favorite bike above all others, and the one I could not do without. And as I’ve looked at and contemplated some of the other contenders, I’ve been able to reach a few conclusions about why Xtracycle rules the cargo bike contest….
- No other cargo bike can accomodate irregularly-shaped loads as easily as an Xtracycle. You want to haul a Christmas tree, a kayak, a weed-eater, a vacuum cleaner or another bicycle? On an Xtracycle, it’s a piece of cake. We’ve hauled them all; easy to load in a variety of ways, easy to secure, easy to ride with. Even for a silly old lady like myself.
- I like the fact that my cargo sits behind me. Other cargo bike enthusiasts might like that Christmas tree or preschooler directly in front of them, but I like to have an unobstructed and distraction-less view of what’s ahead, thanks.
- You won’t out-grow an Xtraycle. While kid-hauling bikes like the Taga or the Feetz might be a fun way to carry your pre-schoolers, I can’t help think this is a short-lived use of a pricey bike. Kids grow – quickly. Why not carry your pre-cyclists on a PeaPod (or two) on the back of an Xtracycle for that short period of time? In the end, you’ll continue to love and use an Xtracycle for countless things, rather than being stuck with a limited-use stroller-bike after a few short years.
- If I need to take my Xtracycle somewhere else (out of state, or beyond timely riding distance) I can carry my Xtracycle on my vehicle. Using an extended rail on our Thule roof rack, we’ve transported our Xtracycles out of state for vacations and other weekend cycling trips. I can’t see putting a Madsen or a Bakfeit or a Feetz on top of my car nearly as easily, if at all.
- Affordability. The ability to convert an existing bike (from road to commuter to mountain or whatever you might already own) to an Xtracycle requires minimal investment when compared to buying an entire dedicated cargo bike. And of course, if you’ve got some spare cash, the Xtracycle Radish or Big Dummy are beautiful, quality builds and very competitively priced – and the folks at Xtracycle are among the friendliest, most generous and helpful bike people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. (And they’re not paying me to say this. 😉
- But the biggest reason of all to own an Xtracycle … it is beautiful bike just to ride. Even when I don’t have to haul anything, I love being out on my X. It’s a beautiful ride – on the back roads or in traffic, in town or on the bike path. I don’t have to make a conscious decision when I head out – like, “do I need to take the big bucket bike, or utility trailer today?” I ride my Xtracycle like other folks ride a road bike or a commuter – and if I get a phone call along the way telling me we’re out of orange juice at home, I always have the easy ability to stop and pick some up. I just can’t imagine that I would ever do the same amount of non-cargo everyday riding on bucket bike or bakfeit.
If I were Santa, I would bring everyone an Xtracycle … But in the meantime, I’ve combed through my pile of Xtracycle photos from the past few years to give you idea of the fun that you, too, could be having on the best cargo bike EVER. Put one on your wish-list … because you never know what Santa has in his bag 😉
Happy Haulidays* and Happy Pedaling!
(*Thanks to my friend Rick for letting me borrow his clever homonym (haulidays) :-D)
easy-peasy on an Xtracycle ... haul your Christmas tree
... do your holiday gift shopping
... haul your other bike to the shop
... or haul your favorite bike shop guy 🙂
haul a little white snowman ...
... or a little white dog
haul a boat to the river this way ...
... or haul it this way
haul your groceries ...
... or your garden
take your friends on a bikepicnic ...
... or go on a bikamping trip
or just take a beautlful ride on a beautiful bike: Xtracycle
winter river ride
on the bridge, Hiwassee River inlet
I ventured out a little further today … the sun was shining, and after the low of 14’F, by afternoon we were back up around 40’F. I just couldn’t help myself.
#330daysofbiking Day 232 of 254.
near "Stump Lake"
the road ahead
100 days to go
#330daysofbiking day 230 ... brrrrrrrrrrrr
I don’t know why, but today felt like a pretty big day for me. Day 230 of the #330daysofbiking project … 100 days to go. Unless, of course, I decide to go for #33,000daysofbiking, or something along those lines. (Totally kidding! Probably.) 😉
Sadly, the milestone was not marked with a very epic ride, but it was good to be out there, regardless. (I tend to get a little punchy when I’m stuck inside, as evidenced by today’s ShutterCal entry. Lol.)
It was a cold one outside – low around 16’F, and the high only a degree or two above freezing. The pond had ice on it. Elisabetta came out of the garage and saw her shadow, which I believe means we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Bicycle folklore, you know.
she saw her shadow ... 6 more weeks of winter?
today's ShutterCal: "I'm an apple person" (obviously being stuck inside makes me a little goofy(er) )
shebicycles 